5 weeks to go … and this will be me – it’s all getting very real now! I love this picture from the 2009 marathon at the North Pole (last year’s pictures weren’t that good as it was near white out and blizzard conditions!) but the thought of being so close to actually doing this now and running a marathon in those conditions fills me with trepidation and enthralls me all in the same sentence.

I am working very hard in the pool and on the bike (and with the ice packs) and actually took my first steps back as a runner yesterday, since November – both knees held fine and I did all of 2 miles – only 24 and a bit to go so that should be alright then!

Just want to say thank you to so many of you who have been so generous and unashamedly please can I ask again for the support of anybody who hasn’t yet donated. Alex is in hospital at the moment having some stabilization treatment but I really would like to be able to get him to California for his major surgery in the Summer. So please don’t be backward in coming forward – every penny helps and every donation is as important as the last one we receive.

The Lee Smith Foundation TaNK treatment continues to progress well – we hope to be in patient trials with this later in the year. Can I take this opportunity to remind you all that the donation site is: www.virginmoneygiving.com/polarrunner

In the Climate Chamber again with Greg Whyte on Wednesday (after he returns from the desert trek with Lorainne Kelly, Craig David, Dermot O’Leary and the Comic Relief crew!) … so he will be moving from + 40 degrees to – 40 degrees !!

Think my kit pack is finally complete – the final piece was my minus 100 degree boots to enable me to walk at the North Pole the day before the marathon and “inspect the course” before retiring to my thermal sleeping bag … my new puppy Smudge seems quite impressed with this piece of equipment.

At last !! after all these months I have found the reason why every ache and pain of this challenge is worthwhile !! Below are the two causes and every reason … Thank you to everyone who has followed this over the last few months. Please give as generously as you can !! we are now live for donations at www.virginmoneygiving.com/polarrunner

Drowning in the pool after a month but getting incredibly fit – back on the road soon …..

There is never a good time to ask for money – even more so in the depths of a recession and in a grey wet February – but it’s been a long time, over 10 years, since I asked anyone to sponsor me (the last time was jumping out of airplanes with the Red Devils at the back end of the last century!)

But this is a unique moment. Those of you who might have followed my blog recently (polarrunner.wordpress.com), will know that I am about to undertake something rather ridiculous; but the challenge was put to me (difficult to back down even at my age!) and the organisers passed me ‘good to go’.

So this is it …… I am running my first ever marathon – at the North Pole !!

I leave for the Pole on 2nd April this year and run the 26.2 miles in circa minus 40 degrees on the 7th April. Due to weather conditions it is not 26 miles in a straight line as they could lose us in a white out or to the odd polar bear (although they rarely travel that far north – it’s too cold!). We will run 4.4km in a circuit round the North Pole x 10. There are 24 ‘uber marathoners’ from around the world plus me – a marathon virgin! and I am supremely confident that the 24 in front of me will be able to smooth a path through the snow to enable me to finish this within the time limit (36 hours!) that the Russian military plane transporting us can remain on the North Pole Ice Floe!!

As you all know, over the years, I’ve run a charity in memory of my first wife, Lee, who passed away 30 years ago next month. The funds raised have given new lives to many cancer afflicted children. I would really like this marathon to support the Lee Smith Foundation’s new TaNK cell treatment. A potentially new treatment for Prostate, Breast and Ovarian cancer, Leukaemia and Myeloma.

I also want to introduce you to Alex Field. Alex is a cheeky, bright and cheerful 7 year old boy who has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. At present he is under treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey, however a new treatment that could potentially save his life looks to be available in California and we would like to be able to pay for that treatment by the funds raised from this marathon.

I know how tough it is out there for everyone at the moment but please find it in your hearts and wallets (!) to be as generous as possible especially to try and help to give little Alex his life back.
Thank you in anticipation